October 28th, 2012

Oct 28, 2012 from Richard Waldschmidt on Vimeo.

PENTECOST 22

October 27-29, 2012

Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

Text: Mark 10:35-45

“WHAT DO YOU WANT JESUS TO DO FOR YOU?”

1.     Give you earthly glory?

2.     Give you the heart of a servant?

Mark 10:35-45 (NIV 1984) “Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.”³⁶ “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.³⁷ They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.”³⁸ “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?”³⁹ “We can,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, ⁴⁰ but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.”⁴¹ When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. ⁴² Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. ⁴³ Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, ⁴⁴ and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. ⁴⁵ For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

          “You’ll have to ask the Lord when you get to heaven.” Have you ever gotten that response from a parent, pastor or teacher when you asked them a Bible question the Bible doesn’t answer? It’s the right answer when the Bible doesn’t say. So what do you want to ask God? Why did you let the Devil exist? Were there really dinosaurs or did you just create dinosaur fossils? Actually I don’t think we’ll have to ask those questions when we get to heaven. I think we’ll know. Today in God’s word we have another question that isn’t hypothetical. What do you want Jesus to do for you?

          Two disciples of Jesus actually asked him that question. “Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.” Sounds a little bold doesn’t it? We want you to do for us whatever we ask. Wait. It gets juicier. In the parallel account in Matthew’s Gospel we find that James and John’s mother was actually there asking too. There were helicopter parents before there were helicopters! These are two men whose mommy is going to bat for them. But Jesus doesn’t turn them away. “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.”

          Now we get a little peak at their hearts. “They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.” They were after glory, earthly glory, fame prestige, honor, for themselves. Now it might sound like they were being heavenly minded but they weren’t. They were still struggling with the false notion of an earthly Messiah setting up an earthly kingdom. Even if they were thinking of heaven it would be foolish. When you are in the presence of the holy God all glory pales. Might as well ask to be a flashlight shining next to the sun. Might as well ask for a billion dollars in heaven. Foolishness.

          And when God’s people speak or act foolishly they sometimes have to deal with consequences for their foolishness.  “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?”³⁹ “We can,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, ⁴⁰ but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.”⁴¹ When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John.” First Jesus had to point out their cluelessness. Their following of Jesus would lead to earthly suffering, not glory. Second, their foolish request was denied. Third was trouble with the other disciples. Boy drama! No one in a peer group likes it when one of their peers tries to set themselves above the rest. They wanted the glory for themselves.

          It’s a good thing that such foolishness doesn’t happen anymore with disciples of Jesus. Or does it? What do you want Jesus to do for you? Isn’t it way too easy to have our hearts set on earthly glory for ourselves and so hard to think about others? We know, we know, what God says is important, that we are to set our minds on things above, not earthly things. We know that God’s true treasure is people and we are to live in such a way as to gain treasures in heaven. Yet glory on earth is so appealing. We want the attention for ourselves on the playground, in the workplace, in the pulpit. James and John aren’t the only selfish boys who want things for themselves. Their mommy isn’t the only one who thinks only of her kids. We hear the command to love our neighbor as we love ourselves but I don’t think I’m the only parent who fails to love other kids as much as I love my own, am I? What a struggle it is for parents to have as much joy in the blessings and successes of other sons and daughters as we do for our own. And boy drama, girl drama. There’s another word for that. It’s called sin. For wherever you find the drama, pride and selfishness were there first. What do you want Jesus to do for you? Give you earthly glory? Be assured that that kind of foolish selfish thinking will bring earthly consequences for you just like it did for James and John.

          You know you read this account in God’s Word and the words and actions of James and John are way too normal, understandable and predictable. They are about themselves. What Matthew tells us their mom was doing, yeah, nothing out of the ordinary there. She’s looking out for her own. How the other disciples reacted. Typical. “How dare you put yourselves above us? We want those glory spots.” And in the middle of this “all about me” world only one stands out as different and extraordinary. Jesus.

          “Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. ⁴³ Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, ⁴⁴ and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.”  Jesus’ teaching about glory is different. He speaks to the common way of things among the Gentiles and understand that to mean unbelievers. Their version of glory is lording it over others. “I’m the best. I’m the greatest. You are nothing. You do what I say.” “Not so with you,” Jesus said to them and us. Glory, greatness comes through service, selfless serving of others. He uses a stronger word. A slave, a slave of all. Wow! Talk about counter culture. Jesus’ way is sure different.

          And it gets better. “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Jesus didn’t just teach a different way. He lived the different way. The Son of Man, the Messiah, the one to whom all glory belongs came to serve and He willingly did that even when that meant giving His life as a ransom for all. All our sins on Jesus laid. Jesus had to become a slave to all to ransom us from the Devil who owned us because of our sin. Jesus had to die because of the selfishness, pride, glory chasing and boy and girl drama we commit even though we know better.

          Now what do you want Jesus to do for you? Give you earthly glory? Or give you the heart of a servant? We know the answer. We want to be like Jesus. We want to thank Him for giving His life as a ransom for our sins by following Him. Our prayer is “Make me a servant of the Servant.” And that prayer is answered. God has made each one of us exactly like He wants us to be. He has given to each of us as He knows best the right mix of skills, abilities and personality traits. He has shown us that the path to true glory is through serving others. And he gives us opportunities to serve. Do you have people in your life? You have opportunities for real glory through serving. A teacher has students who have needs to be served. A parent has children with needs to be served. A nurse has patients with needs to be served. A child has parents, a student teachers. Think now. Examine your life. Who has God put into your life to serve? Write down some names. What are their needs? A hug. A reassuring word or touch? Understanding. Obedience. Whoever wants to be great must be a servant.

          And maybe, maybe even more glorious service will occur. Maybe those people God has put in your life who don’t yet know that Jesus gave His life as a ransom for them, maybe they will be touched by the service of a servant of the Servant and will be drawn to Him. That’s real glory. Treasures that last into heaven. What do you want Jesus to do for you? I want Him to make me a servant. Amen.